How to Make a Princess
by ThatOneChick'98
Summary: As the king of Adria fell down the stairs, Grace's last hope falls too. She's now under now Queen Ann's complete control. And she must marry the Crown Prince of Adria. Grace must now fit herself into the position of princess, but where does the line end between who she is and who she must become.
1. Chapter 1

How to Make a Princess CH 1

Summary: As the king of Adria fell down the stairs, Grace's last hope falls too. She's now under now Queen Ann's complete control. And she must marry the Crown Prince of Adria. Grace must now fit herself into the position of princess, but where does the line end between who she is and who she must be.

"I hate dresses," I said, looking at the gowns in front of me.

"Well, you must choose one, Gracie."

I supposed that was my job now. Ever since the king had fallen dead onto the ballroom floor, I had been forced into I world I did not like and wanted nothing more than to get out of. But I couldn't. My life was now an illusion to those around me. On the outside, I would be the girl specifically designed by Ann, and on the inside… well, I guess I was going to have to bury her. When the king fell, I did too. Any hopes of getting out of this place, to living a normal life, crashed like the champagne flutes I had stepped on at the party. I had no power in my own life. And that was just the way Ann liked it.

Ms. Chancellor picked one off the rack. An off-the-shoulder, figure-hugging red dress that went down to mid-thigh.

"No," Princess Ann declared from her seat behind me, "She's going to my coronation, not a brothel."

"But isn't she supposed to make people think she's trying to make Thomas fall in love with her?" MS. Chancellor said.

"Fall in love. Not lust after her."

We turned our attention back to the rack. "Sweet-heart neckline would make her look innocent." Ms Chancellor tried.

"Not a part of the narrative."

Ms Chancellor turned to the soon-to-be queen, "And what exactly is the narrative we're going with? Would you care to share?"

Princess Ann shrugged, "The innocent woman card has been played so many times. Why not try something new?"

"Like what?" I asked, wondering what sort of woman she was going to project me as. What sort of woman the whole world would know me as. Who I would have to become.

"With your history? With the mental hospitals and the therapists? A damaged woman bound and determined to fix and take care of herself would be an inspirational narrative. With your background in diplomacy and the backing of the US, we can display you as capable of handling power and knowledgeable of how the game works."

I blinked and looked at Ms Chancellor, shocked at what direction the princess was going.

Princess Ann got up and pulled a dress off the rack. A navy dress with a white blazer over it. Adria's colors.

"A modern woman with something to prove drawing the attention of one of the most powerful men in the world. You two would be a force to reckon with. And that's a narrative I can sell."

"That gives me a lot of power," I muttered.

"I know. A lot of power that I can manipulate."

(*&*)?

I clutched Thomas' arm as I went up the stairs of the cathedral, trying not to trip on my heels. Two crowds held back by ropes reached for both of us as we walked by.

"This feels strange," I said low enough that only Thomas would hear me.

He looked down at me, "I'm sorry to tell you that you're going to have to get used to it."

"I suppose so."

We entered the long cathedral and Thomas helped me reach my seat and sit down.

He kneeled down beside me and leaned close, "Grace, I think you underestimate how much power you could have over her."

"Your mother?" I whispered back.

He nodded, just barely, "If you want something, barter with her, change the public's perspective, put yourself out there more than her."

"Your mother is one of the most well loved and respected princesses in the world. How am I supposed to change the public's perspective in my favor?"

He shrugged, smiling a little, "I guess you're going to be more loved. More respected. You're going to have to make a splash. Luckily, you may have more help than you know."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, remember where you come from."

I shook my head, "I don't understand."

Right as a photographer came past, Thomas reached up and put a strand of my hair back into its elaborate bun.

"I changed a couple of the seats. They should be coming soon."

"Who?" But Thomas was already walking away.

Within a couple minutes, I got my answer. A hand landed on my shoulder and a voice said, "Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

"Megan!" I turned around and enveloped her into a hug. She held onto me for a long time. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

"We all have our parts to play if we're going to be able to keep you."

"All of us," a voice with a Russian accent whispered. I opened my eyes to see Noah and Alexei right behind Megan.

The small girl finally let me go, and Noah immediately wrapped his arms around me, "Hey, best friend."

I laughed hugging him even tighter, but I never took my eyes off the tall man behind him.

It was only when I was firmly enveloped in his arms that I breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm so happy you're here."  
"Whatever you need from me, I'll do it. Just as long as I get to still have you in my life."

We all sat down as the ceremony began. And I wondered if I could do that one day. Kneel in front of a priest next to my husband and have a crown placed on my head. Say an oath that sealed my fate as one of the most important women in the world. Stand and face a nation that I would have to call my own.

"What first?" Megan whispered beside me.

"First? I turn myself into a modern princess. And I'm going to need your help."


	2. Chapter 2

How to Make a Princess Ch 2

I twisted my hips, watching the material flare out around my hips, "I don't know."

"That's why you asked for me, wasn't it?" Lila studied her nails, "So that I could tell you because I do know."

Megan fingered the material of the pink skirt that flowed just past my fingertips, "You may not like it, Grace, but this is what people are going to expect you to be wearing."

I looked past to the blue-eyed man sitting in the chair next to Lila, "What do you think?"

Alexei cleared his throat, before rubbing his hands over his face, "Truthfully? I hate it."

I turned back, "Okay, so I'll take it."

Lila snorted, "It is sufficiently unlike you. But it fits the picture that Queen Ann's trying to sell. Pair it with the right top, maybe a blazer, and we're in business."

I hummed in answer.

"Oh, my God," a woman said in Adrian, "Are you Grace Blakely?"

I blanched, staring at the woman I didn't know, "I'm sorry, have we met?"

"Oh, no! Goodness, no! I recognized you from the coronation footage. You were named one of the best dressed."

"I was?"

"Of course! What you wore was so classy, yet so modern. I would kill for that blazer!"

"Oh! Well, thank you. Can I ask you something?"

"Anything!"

"What do you think of this skirt?"

She eyed it carefully, "I think you look very sweet."

Alexei snorted behind her.

"If I may?" the woman asked, holding up a tang top that she had in her hand, "This was for my sister, but I think it would spice up your outfit."

A few minutes of wriggling later, I stood back in front of the mirror as everyone seemed to perk up. The tang top hugged what little curves I had and at the top had a v leading down to my cleavage. It would have seemed scandalous if it weren't partially covered by lace ups that joined at the top in a bow.

"Yes! Much better!" the woman clapped her hands together, "Then a ponytail and you're all set!"

I caught Alexei's eyes in the mirror, and was unable to hide the smirk when I saw that his eyes were shades deeper than they usually were. I turned around and hugged the woman, who looked like she might faint.

"Thank you so much for your help!"

"Of course," the woman said, enthusiastically waving goodbye.

"We're going to have to get a sweater or something to cover your arms," Lila noted.

"Why?" I asked.

"Your arms," she pointed at them with a well-manicured hand.

"What about them?"

"They're too muscular for a princess."

"Muscular? Isn't that kind of picky?"

Lila grimaced and neared me again, "People are going to start being picky about everything, Grace. Do you understand that? You can't come into the palace with dirty clothes. You can't go out in public without making sure your eyebrows are perfect and your nails are manicured and your skin is perfect. They'll notice everything. When you go out in public, there can't be a strand of hair out of place."

"That seems a little ridiculous, Lila." Alexei said.

"It is ridiculous. But it's also the truth."

"It's summer. In Adria. It easily gets up to 39 here. Sorry, Americans, about 100 in Fahrenheit. It would be stupid to go around in a sweater."

"That's what she's going to have to do. Until she gets less muscular."

I blanched and Alexei continued to study me, "I don't see that happening. Why not build it into her character?"

"A muscular, modern princess?"

"How about a princess that uses daily exercise to work through PTSD. Because that is what her military family taught her." He seemed to get even closer to me, and although he was talking to Lila he only looked at me as he continued. "Don't display her as muscular. Display her as strong. Resilient. It'd be easier mold for our Gracie to fit into anyway."

"It's not a bad idea," Megan said, "It could get a lot of people on her side. It could make people start rooting for her."

I turned back to the mirror for a second to clear my head and think, but then I looked over my shoulder in the mirror and met eyes that made it cloud again.

"What do you think, Grace?" Megan placed her hand on my arm to get me to look at her.

"I feel like I would be capitalizing on my mother's death. For political gain. I don't ever want to go down that road."

Alexei's hand briefly brushed against my waist like he had subconsciously come up to hold it but had corrected himself, "You don't have to. You have a military family. That's reason enough for you to be fit. But saying that you do it to work through PTSD— "

"No!"

"—Would get you more support."

"No. I can be strong and resilient without dragging up my past."

"Your past," Alexei explained calmly, "Will be brought up no matter what. We can take that, and we could use it to help people."

I twirled around, my skirt brushing against his pants, to tell him no again before I stopped, "What do you mean 'help people'?"

(*&*)?

I walked into the building with Noah next to me, "Explain to me why everyone told me to bring you with me?"

He shrugged, "Like we said, we all have our parts to play. The best way to see it is like the American secretaries. Alexei is the security and foreign affairs secretary, Megan is the state department, Lila and I are kind of the press secretary. Because Lila deals with your fashion."

"And you?"

"I help you charm people." He opened the door and bowed, letting me go in first.

I laughed, heading inside and to the front desk, "Hi, I was wondering if you could help me with something. I'd like to speak with whoever does your marketing."

(*&*)?

"Well?" I asked Alexei as I met him at the front door to the palace.

He didn't answer for a second, staring at my outfit.

"Too much?" I asked.

He cleared his throat, "Uh. No. No, you look…fine."

"Fine?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.

He finally met my eyes and cleared his throat again, "I think we're starting to work. I have some papers for you to look over."

"Yeah?"

"Thomas retweeting you did the trick."

"Like I told you it would?"

"Either way, word is getting out. You gained over a million followers on Twitter within two hours of him retweeting you and the hashtag is trending."

I nodded, "Benny from marketing called to tell me donations were already flooding in."

Alexei smiled at me, "So how does champion for mental illness sound?"

"It sounds like something my mother would be proud of."


	3. Chapter 3

How to Make a Princess Ch 3

"I'm not going to do it," I told Queen Ann, turning away from her.

She scoffed, "You need to do it. You won't look like a princess otherwise."

"Making me look perfectly princess all at once would look suspicious. Like we planned it. Which we did."

"We're not doing it all at once. Just the big stuff now, when you're not really well known."

"People are already starting to recognize me on the streets," I said remembering the woman in the store, "Either way, I've already changed how I dressed. That's big enough."

"The clothes are a good start, but right now you don't look Adrian. You look…American."

"And that's a bad thing?"  
She looked at me, "There are a million reasons why a rebellious girl who looks American being in the center of a royal family looks bad. Your country literally overthrew a monarchy."

I took a deep breath, "Just…let me think about it. It's a lot."

"Why is this a big deal for you? It's only—"

"What makes me look like my mother." Ann fell quiet. "It makes me look like my mom, Ann. Surely you aren't that callous. She was your friend after all."

She cleared her throat, "You have 'til the end of today."

Then she left.

(*&*)?

I handed Lila the picture once I got to Iran. This was the main reason I had gotten time from Ann. I wanted to see what everyone thought of it before I went through with it. I knew it fit with Ann's plan, but would it fit with ours?

Lila sighed, "Well, I can see her point. You would look more Adrian that way. It might be worth it. Hard to know how worth it though, considering nobody knows what you look like now. It'd be hard to get a good read on the public's reaction."

"But is what she's saying about me being too American real?"

"You too American? The military brat with a pension for mischief and risk-taking, who, might I add, is being displayed as a feminist and in the political know? You looking too American? The girl who thinks she can fix anything, do anything, be anything?"

"I get it."

"Grace, don't kid yourself. All of us are like our countries. You especially. A little American is fine. A little American shows that you can be independent and knowledgeable and tough. A little American shows that you can pull your own weight, be a force in the nation. But too much American and you've got a foreigner on the throne. No one ever wants that."

"You think I should go through with it."

"Yeah. I'm sorry, but I think you should."

(*&*)?

"Ms Chancellor!" I whisper-shouted as she went up the stairs. I didn't dare step through the front door, scared that I would be crossing more than just the international border at the gate.

"Grace!" she came down the stairs and out the door, closing it behind her.

"I'm sorry. I just wasn't sure if I should go in right now."

She frowned a little, "The US will always be your home, but for right now I think you made the right call."

"How's Grandpa?"

"He's on the mend. Should be able to start working full-time soon."

I nodded, "Good. Good."

"What's wrong, Grace? What do you need?"

"I need…legal advice."

(*&*)?\

"What is this?" Queen Ann shut the door to the study behind her.

"Please, sit," I told her, motioning to the other side of the desk. She gracefully sat on the chair, spreading her cream skirt around herself like I had been taught to do. Everything about her screamed royalty, from the stiffness in her posture to what she called her work day tiara.

"We have a couple of things to talk about."

"Such as?"  
"Our…arrangement."

She smiled, "I thought our arrangement was very clear, Grace: you become princess and we don't kill you or your brother."

"Oh, that arrangement is very clear. I'm talking about the other one."

"Which is?"

"The one about my behavior."

"Your behavior?"

"And my character."

Ann leaned back in her chair, "I didn't realize either of those things were an issue."

"Not yet, Ann. But we both know how much damage a rebellious American can do to press relations." I let it drop right there, letting her imagine the worst thing possible.

"I see now." She smiled at me. Like she was amused. Or maybe even…proud?

"So, in exchange for good behavior, cooperation with changes, and of course my loyalty to your son, I would like some things in exchange."

"Such as?"

I pushed the document Ms Chancellor had drawn up for me towards her, "It's all in there. Most of its school."

She looked at me, astounded, "School?"

"I can't disappear off the face of the planet. I want to go to school like I would have if I weren't living in the palace. I don't want homeschooling. I don't want tutors. Just the English-speaking international school."

"You want to go to high school?"

"And college. Of course, you won't have to pay for that, but there are stipulations that come with college."

"Like?"

"I want to have the most typical college experience that I can have. I don't think I could do that while dating a prince."

"No. That one can't go." Queen Ann almost laughted, dropping the paper. She rose to her feet, but I reached forward and grabbed her arm.

"You'll want to listen to what I have to say about that."

"What could you possibly say that would make me agree to that?"

"Because it would fit with my character."

"What?"

"An independent woman putting emotions aside to better herself. A woman focusing on her career, a career helping people, wouldn't want to be tied down by a man. And think of the press. A cute teenage couple broken apart for the promise of a better future. Them holding onto what friendship they could with the occasional romantically intense picture. But then once college is over they're swept back together because that attraction is so strong and even though they've both changed it's still there. I graduate a year before Thomas and then by the time that he's graduating we're planning a big royal wedding. What better story is there for a modern, mature couple?"

Queen Ann tilted her head, "I'll have to think about it. Anything else?"

"Security. For people. And that I get to see them. That I'm not cut off from them."

"And I suppose Alexei Volkov is on that list?"

"He is."

"Then it's a no."

She started to turn away and I grabbed her again, my desperation finally leaking through the façade that Ms Chancellor and I had carefully thought out, "No, please, Ann! Please! If I can't have him, at least let me see him. I just want to have him in my life in some way!"

"No! You are a reckless, self-absorbed child that I wouldn't trust alone with a goldfish. Why would I let another reckless child in? So, you could fuck each other senseless right under my son's nose?"

"Nothing would come of it!"

"I don't believe that for a second, Grace Olivia!"

"Well you should! If I get what I asked for, your son has my full loyalty! You of all people should know that you can trust that! I've been taught my whole life to stay loyal! What makes you think I would stop now?!"

"Oh, for God's sake, Grace!"

"When I make a promise, Ann, I keep it. I would stay loyal. I would protect your son. I would do good by him. I would try to make him happy. I would never cheat on my husband."

She stood there looking at me for a long time, as if trying to judge my character in a single glance. "I'll think about it."


	4. Chapter 4

How to Make a Princess Ch. 4

"My God. What did you do?" Alexei stared at me. Well, not at me. At the person I had become in a short amount of time.

This morning I had sat down at a hairdresser's chair in the depths of the palace and had risen an entirely new woman. With Ann watching the whole time, a team of "experts" had taken the bland, blond bushy-haired girl I had been and changed her entirely. And now my friends looked like they couldn't recognize me. They probably couldn't.

"Dyed my hair, plucked my eyebrows, whitened my teeth, tanned my skin, waxed parts of my body I didn't know I could wax. Need I go on."

Alexei sat down heavily on the palace couch across from mine, still staring like he was seeing a ghost. I wondered for a second if he was seeing me as who I was, or who I would have to become. In a yellow day dress, sitting with my legs tucked properly under the chair, surrounded by gold and expensive furniture.

I looked down at my lap, a piece of now-brown hair falling into my face. I pushed it back, disgusted at what I had done to myself, but also…relieved. The brown hair, the perfect smile, the tanned skin, were all signs that the people around me were now safe.

Lila stood assessing. Rosie put her hand in Alexei's. And Noah shifted uncomfortably.

Megan sat down next to me, grabbing my now manicured, softened hands in hers, "Grace, it's fine. You look fantastic, like insanely beautiful, it's just different. Right, Alexei? It will just take some getting used to, won't it?"

We both looked up at Alexei, me like a hopeful bride and Megan like a reproachful mother.

But he said nothing. Only looked at me.

Noah shifted uncomfortably, "Well, I think— "

"What did you do, Gracie?" Alexei finally leaned forward, putting his forearms on his knees, "You were against any changes. So why now? Why this much? What did you do?"

And that was when I knew that he knew about the agreement. The contract. The security. Everything. If no one had told him about it, then he had probably guessed it as soon as he had walked into the door.

I looked away from him, staring at the gold-leafed wall.

"Gracie!" he was mad now. And desperate. "What did you do? What else did you give to her?"

I just shook my head, whispering, "I did what I had to do."

"What else did you give to her, Grace? Grace, look at me and tell me."

"Most of it was small. Cooperation. Loyalty. I didn't think she would ask for it."

"Ask for what?" Megan asked.

"No, Gracie." Alexei whispered, digging his face into his hands.

"Ann thought that even with the…changes. To my appearance that the Adrian people still would only see me as an American. My character was pushing too many American ideas and values. So, she asked for something that would sufficiently make me un-American."

"Oh, God," Megan said.

"By the time I marry Thomas, I have to give up my American citizenship."

Alexei rose to his feet, pacing the large room back and forth. "And tell them what you got out of this deal. Tell them what made you abandon your country and strip yourself of who you are. Tell them what made you give yourself up and replace with a princess."

I shook my head, "You already know."

"Tell them, Grace!" When he said my real name with that much malice, that much unfamiliarity, it made my heart break.

"You all."

"Say it all."

"I gave up myself and my country for your lives and safety, as well as still being able to see you."

"Grace," Megan shook her head at me, "Why would you do that? I don't understand. That was too big of a cost."

"For your safety? Are you serious?" I asked.

"My God, Grace. We've handled dangerous situations before! We can do it again!"

"No! No, you can't! Don't you all understand?" I shot up from my seat, backing away from all of them. From all of them. "You can't win with her! You can only play her game. She killed the king. _The king!_ And got away with it. If you all continued to help me, even if you didn't, your safety was on the line. I couldn't let anything happen to you!"

"So, you became a shell?" Alexei screamed.

" _I am still here!"_ my voice echoed around the high ceiling. I sat down in my place, my voice turning weak and scared, "I am still here."

Alexei and I continued to stare at each other, even when the footsteps entered the room, "Grace."

Thomas blinked in surprise when I finally turned to him, "Uh. Wow."

I sighed, "What do you need, Thomas?"

"It's time to go," was all he said. All he had to say.

I got to my feet, "I'm sorry. But I did what I thought was right."

And then I left them.

(*&*)?

"I heard about your war with my mom," Thomas said, walking along the street. He almost seemed to be taking everything in, and I had to remind myself that, while he may one day rule this country, he didn't know a thing outside the palace. But that was the point to us doing this. Walking around town, me showing him the place where he unknowingly grew up.

"It wasn't a war. It was a peace treaty."

Thomas nodded, "I ready through it. It was good. I couldn't find a single loophole for her to go through."

"And, yet. She'll probably still find some."

"Undoubtedly." Thomas agreed, "You need to be careful, Grace."

"Before the ball, you didn't even know who your mother was. Now you're telling me to be careful."

Thomas put his hands into his work pants, thoughtful, "I don't think anyone knows how deep my mother is in all of this mess. You may come close, sure, but I don't think even she understands or acknowledges what she has done. You need to be careful."

"Alright, any other advice?"

He shrugged, smiling like we were two friends taking an impromptu walk in town with the security officer trailing us. That's what it was supposed to look like. Like I had poked my head into his office and had told him I was bored.

"In your deal, did you tell her when you wanted to start all this?"

"All this being…us?"

"Yeah."

"No. That's something we figure out ourselves. Besides college."

"College."

"I asked that we get to break up right after my graduation. Gets me four years to actually experience college without cameras and you get your senior year and three years of college."

"We get some time off?"

I nodded, "Hopefully to experience the real world."

Thomas looked thoughtful, "That gives us two years to make sure we're a couple that people can root for over four years."

"Yes."

"We've got a lot of work to do."

I pulled him to a stop with a hand on his arm, "Can we just…maybe be friends for a while before we…."

"Start kissing?"

"Would we even be able to do that? In public?"

He thought about it for a while, "PDA would probably not be encouraged. We'd have to be carefully uncareful."

(*&*)?

I put my phone with the gossipy news article on Thomas' desk, "Did you know about this?"

He read through it briefly before looking up at me, "No. But it's a good start I guess."

"They didn't give us that much time."  
"What do you mean?"

I pointed to the phone, "Now they think we're dating. So, we have to pretend like we're dating now rather than later."

"Not necessarily."

I tilted my head at him, "What do you have in mind?"

(*&*)?

The Adrian equivalent of E! News, aptly named _The Adrian Report,_ blared the _Royal Report_ 30 second theme song as pictures of the royals played along the screen. Kata Beniti, the newscaster appeared on the screen along with a picture of me. The new me, with my brown, curly hair and tanned skin.

"For those of you who have been in a coma or living under a rock, this is Grace Blakely, who has been in the center of a rather fascinating limbo within the royal household. So, who is Grace Blakely, why is she at the palace, and why does the whole country suddenly seem to care about her. We've got all the details for you, starting with where she's from.

"Grace Blakely is a military brat, but not from our country. She comes from the States, and has all the ideals associated with that. So, why is she in Adria? Her grandfather is the United States ambassador to Adria and she has spent most of her summers enjoying the benefits of having two passports. As a child, Blakely was known as a daredevil and before this was most well-known for jumping off our most recognized national monument: the wall. If you're listening Blakely, please know that we don't have a lot of national monuments as the United States and ours are a lot older. Don't climb on them.

"But, now what Grace is really known for is being absolutely insane. Literally. After witnessing her mother's death, Grace went full-fledged insane. She was later placed in a mental institute. After that, she came over to Adria to live permanently with her grandfather after her brother and father went back into war. We even saw at the Ambassador's ball, although she disappeared soon after she walked her grandfather through the line.

Speaking of her grandfather, I suppose Grace was just too much to handle because he soon had a heart attack. While he's recovering, Grace is staying with her mother's old friend, who, if you can believe it, is our Queen Ann.

"Now that Grace is in one of the most powerful houses in Adria, she's decided to take a stance, pulling a nonprofit, now-known for the hashtag #helpnothinder, into the spotlight. This nonprofit helps encourage mental institutions to use more humane practices with their patients, claiming that many of the men and women that go into these places come out needing more help than when they came in. Which calls into question if a person like Grace, who has been proven to be violent in manic fits, should be near the royal family of one of the most prominent nations in the Mediterranean.

"That's not all the Grace drama we have going on. New pictures of her show her going on a long walk with our prince, that included ice-cream, stopping by the US embassy to see her grandfather, and then a movie. To everyone else, this seems like a date, I mean, he even met the in-laws, but Grace and Thomas seem to have denied these allegations, while not denying the allegations.

"After the pictures arose, the two sent out a series of Tweets. Grace mockingly tweeted: 'WHAT?! PrinceThom, I didn't know we were DATING! When were u going to tell me? #trulyhonored'. To which Prince Thomas soon replied: ' GracetheAce, me? Tell you? When were you going to tell me?'.

"Oh, my God, stop flirting with each other over Twitter, please. Some of us have to eat.

"This shows a lot of things, but mostly it shows Blakely's disrespect for the crown and what it stands for. To be fair, her country does not have a crown so she might not understand it, but to many Adrians the royal family is a sign of perseverance, values, and patriotic respect for our nation. And when you think about it like that, maybe this American should be able to understand that. We'll be right back."


	5. Chapter 5

How to Make a Princess Ch. 5

By the time a week had passed of me living in the palace, I decided that I did not like it. During the daytime, it made me feel inadequate with its gorgeous and expensive decorations, but during the nighttime it was a whole different feel to it. When I laid down in my too big, too soft bed, the palace seemed to come alive. My room was too big for me to see through the thick shadows and the chamberous ceiling seemed to echo back even my own deep breaths. I was an army brat, and, therefore, could sleep anywhere. Except in absolute luxury.

So when Thomas confronted me about it, I wasn't surprised. I was just surprised that he was the one who noticed first.

"Are you sleeping okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," came my automatic answer.

"That's not exactly what I asked. If you're not sleeping okay, we can find a way to help you."

"I know a great way to help me sleep."

"Yeah?" He was enthusiastic at the thought of him being able to help me.

"Yes. Put me back in the American embassy."

Thomas sighed, "You know I can't do that. It's in the Marriage Contract. You have to stay here. We have to stick to the narrative."

My shoulders slumped, "I know."

He stepped closer to me, putting his hand on my shoulder, "Have you been trying to go to sleep?"

"Why wouldn't I try to go to sleep?"

"I haven't seen you eat since you got here."

"Maybe I'm not hungry around you."

He seemed to think back, "You didn't even eat a lot of your ice cream when we went out. Or popcorn."

"I'm fine, Thomas."

"Have you been taking your pills?"

"Thomas."

"I haven't seen you take any."

"Thomas!" we both looked down and away from each other as guards walked down the hallway we were in. They bowed stiffly to Thomas before disappearing towards the end of the hall, "Look. I already have too many men trying to take care of me at one time. I don't need you to start as well."

Then, I started to walk away, my small heels clacking on the tile floor, "Your father and brother are on a different continent. Your grandfather is trying to control the ever-changing waters of diplomacy. And you can't have Alexei now, can you?" I stopped, turning back towards him. He walked up to me, slowly, and with a predatory I-caught-you grin, "Or can you, Grace?"

I stayed silent. Which must have been all the confirmation he needed.

"It's interesting, the wording of the Marriage Contract. It talks about you being loyal to your husband. Not cheating on your husband. NO doubt Mom noticed but didn't do anything. It gives her deniability if someone finds the contract if my name is never mentioned. But that's not the reason it never mentions me by name, is it, Grace?"

I tried to turn my head away from him, but he caught my face in his hand and made me turn to look him in the eye.

"You can't cheat on your husband. But we aren't husband and wife, are we, Grace?"

"No." I cleared my voice, "No, we are not."

"You bought time. For him. So, you could be together."

"I'm not going to deny it."

"So, when were you going to tell me? Were you not going to?"

I looked at him, "I wouldn't have hide it from you if that's what you mean."

"So, what? What were you thinking? That we could have an open relationship until we were married?"

"Is this a relationship, Thomas? Because it seems to me like we're just pretending for the cameras."

Thomas looked hurt for a moment. But I stayed strong and kept my voice even.

"Thomas?"

He cleared his throat, "No. This is not a relationship. But we are stuck with each other either way. I will make you a deal."

"Which is?"

"In return for not making things harder for you two and not telling my mother, I would like us to be friends."

"Just friends?"

"And I would like to be able to take care of you."

I stood there shocked, "You want to take care of me?"

Thomas shrugged, "You're my future wife, aren't you? We should get used to the other trying to help us. We should get used to a lot of things, but this is a start. And if we had a marriage based on friendship instead of a contract…" he shifted, putting his hands in his pocket, "Well, it's not the best of circumstances, but I suppose that would make me less anxious about it."

I studied him for a long time before nodding, "I can live with that deal."

"And you won't complain or try to push me away when I try to help?"

"Pushing back is second nature. But I will try."

(*&*)?

That night, I fell into a light, yet nightmarish sleep before anyone else thought of heading to bed. I thought that maybe if I went to bed when the sun was still up it would be easier to not spend hours staring at the shadows.

But by the time I could pull myself out of the awful, unrestful sleep, it was dark again, the only light in the room coming from the crack under my door that led to the hallway. Thinking that staring at the light would be better than staring into the lonely dark, I turned towards it, watching the boots of guards and maids walk by.

Suddenly a shadow stopped in front of my door and it slowly slid open, as if someone was trying to sneak in.

"Who's there?" I asked, thinking of what I could grab as a weapon.

"It's just me." The door swung open to show the shadow of a boy holding something under his arm.

"Thomas?" I asked, blinking my eyes against the sudden light, "What are you doing here so late?"  
He shrugged, "I got held up talking to someone. Then I had to go and get a sleeping bag. I didn't even know if we had sleeping bags, but sure enough."

He closed the door and laid his sleeping bag out on the floor, "Toss me a pillow, would you?"

"Thomas. What are you doing?"

"You're not sleeping well. So, I thought if I slept in here it would make it easier for you." He rambled trying to defend himself. "I did the research. I didn't want to tell anyone else because they might have just put you on another pill and I know how much you hate those. I looked for more natural ways of helping you and all of these studies popped up about the benefits of someone sleeping in the room with you. They said it was like a security blanket and that even listening to their breathing helped."

I stared at him for a long time.

"I don't snore." He added, as if that would make me more inclined to let him stay.

"You're just going to sleep in a sleeping bag?"

Thomas climbed into it, "Until you feel better about being in the palace."

"The palace holds the woman that tried to kill me. I can't trust anyone here. I will never feel better about being here."

"I suppose I'll have to get used to this hard floor then."

"Thomas, don't be ridiculous. Go back to your room."

"Nope." He pointed at you, "And you can't tell me no, remember?"

"You're going to hurt your back like that." Thomas wasn't an army brat. He was used to the too comfy beds. He wouldn't last a week sleeping on the hardwood floor.

"What? I can't hear you. I'm asleep."

"Thomas. Thomas!" I collapsed back onto the pillows, "Fine. Come up here with me then."

His head popped up, "That would be inappropriate."

"You're already sleeping in my room. Everyone's going to think that you're sleeping in my bed anyway."

He paused, "I guess that's true."

I opened the covers to him, "I'm not wearing pants so don't let your hands wander. Keep to your side."

He smiled, jumping onto the bed with me, "Yes, ma'am."

(*&*)?

I did sleep better that night, better than I had in a long time. I only woke up when someone knocked on the door.

"You need to get it," Thomas didn't even open his eyes as he lightly slapped my shoulder with the back of his hand, "I'm not here, remember?"

His voice was heavy with sleep and his hair went in every which direction. I realized with sudden clarity that Thomas was definitely _not_ a morning person.

I slipped out of bed, running barefooted to the door. I opened it just enough so that the bed was blocked with my body, "May I help you?"

The butler surveyed me and I realized that I only had one of my brother's large shirts on. It looked like I had slipped out of bed and put on a man's t-shirt. The rumors would surely fly.

"I have an invitation for you to join the king and queen for breakfast. The queen also asked me to tell you to invite the prince. She said it wouldn't be very hard for you."

I tried not to cringe. Ann knew her son slept here last night.

"When?"

"In an hour, ma'am. A dress would be appropriate."

"Thank you," I closed the door as quickly as I could, and turned around to see Thomas' wide eyes.

"We're screwed, aren't we?"

"So screwed."


	6. Chapter 6

How to Make a Princess CH. 6

Thomas and I entered the dining room at different times, trying to throw Ann off our scent, but once I entered the room I knew that our trick didn't work.

"Grace, dear. Come sit." Queen Ann sat already immaculately dressed for the day. Her husband sat with the paper in hand and looked up from it to smile at me.

I sat beside Thomas and a butler put a plate in front of me. That was something I would probably never get used to: suddenly appearing food.

"Well, Grace, dear. I was talking to your grandfather the other day and told him you were adjusting well. He asked me to take care of you for just a little longer, but I told him you were a joy to have around.

"I think you just liven up the palace so much more. It's never a dull moment with you around. Right, love?"

The king seemed to get the message and put down the paper, "Right as always, dear."

"So, I was thinking," Grace grabbed her husband's hand, "Actually, we were both thinking that maybe you would like to live here permanently."

I was confused for a second, before realizing that the king knew nothing of our contract. And that this was all a show for him.

"Like…forever?" I asked like this was a new idea for me. Thomas' hand came down to my leg, squeezing lightly.

"Well, of course there's college, but yes. Forever."

The king butted in, "Yes. We could sign a room of the palace over to you and we could also give you a title to help ease you into the society here."

"A title?"

Queen Ann nodded, "No one really excels in our circles unless they have a title or a job. Having a title will really help them take you seriously as a member of the Royal Household."

"What title would I get?"

(*&*)?

"I'm going to be sick," I said, as the maid took in the dress again. Women back in the day has corsets to make them look skinnier, but nowadays people just made the dress a size or two too small.

"No, you're not," Queen Ann said, sitting perfectly in her dress. I hadn't been here when they had wrestled her into the green satin gown, but I couldn't imagine that they had more trouble than they did trying to get me into mine. The lace, while it was supposed to make me look young and classy was as unforgiving as the people I was about to meet tonight.

"I'm can't breathe," I tried again.

"That's probably not the nerves," the maid said behind me before adding, "Miss."

I sucked in one more time and felt the zipper go all the way up. The maid smiled. I did not.

"I don't see why this is necessary."

Ann sighed, "It's your first public appearance. It's to get you out into the spotlight. And to make your presence here official."

"Making me a lady makes me official?"  
"Making you a part of the royal household makes you official. Think of it as a mini-coronation. The court gets to see you as someone with power, not just a wanderer in the palace, and you get to be introduced to the most important figures in Adria."

"I don't see why anyone would show up to a noble naming. It's not that exciting."

"We have a house of lords in Adria's Parliament for a reason, just like the British. Plus, this is the first noble being named in over a century. The titles have been passed down through families, of course, but for the first time in a long time someone is earning the title. And a lady is the one to earn it."

"But it's just to make me a surrogate child of the Royal Household. I didn't do anything to earn it."

"The sentiment is still there."

I spun on her, "The sentiment is dead. There aren't any Lords or Ladies anymore. Or at least there shouldn't be."

There was a second of time where no one moved, no one breathed, no one even thought, and then Ann broke the silence. She looked at the maid, "You're excused."

The maid ran from the room, and it wasn't until the door closed that Ann pinched her nose, walking up to me, "You need to watch your mouth. Our country is not as young as the US. It does not survive off Enlightenment ideals. We have a legacy, a tradition, to uphold. Part of that tradition is lords and ladies and queens and kings and hereditary titles. If you keep spouting off that those things shouldn't exist, now or when you are queen, then it could all come tumbling down. The government could shut down, there could be riots on the street, the palace burnt to the ground, centuries' worth of history destroyed, people's lives put at risk. All because you opened your mouth. Do you want that to happen, Grace?"

I took a deep breath, "No. No, I don't want that."

She turned me to look into the mirror. Another girl, one that was becoming more and more familiar by the day, stared back at me, dressed in a gown that swept the floor. Blue lace was stitched over a white, flowing dress that swung out to make a cape like feature. My hair was up, braided around my head to look like a crown.

"You are the embodiment of a country and a crown. You will protect it with your life. Do you understand me?"

I nodded silently.

"Good." She smiled at me, "Your brother came in today."

"My brother? Jamie?"

"Of course. Who else was going to escort you?"

I blinked, "I just thought it would be Thomas."

"No, no. We can't overload them with you and Thomas. Not at first that is. We need to let them see you with the other men in your life. So, your brothers will escort you. One on each arm."

"Brothers."

"Jamie and Alexei, of course." I stared at her through the mirror, but she just shrugged regally, "Alexei needs to get out of the way. An over-protective big brother seems to be just the place for him. Plus, he's Russia and you're the US. We need to prove that you have powerful allies, and this is where we start."

"And so, you pulled Jamie out of West Point for what? So that Alexei just looks like a mirror of my brother?"

"That. And to prove that no matter how far into the Adrian society you go, the US will still back you up.".

"You've got it all planned out, don't you?"

"Don't we all have a plan, Grace?"

I didn't tell her that she was wrong.

(*&*)?

"Your jobs are to make sure I don't fall, make a fool of myself, or have a panic attack."

Jamie stared at me for a second, "I'm not sure about that last one."

"I'm less sure about the second one," the Russian voice chimed in, "Making a fool of yourself is kind of second nature by now."

"Neither of you are funny," I looked down at my dress to make sure it was still okay, "If I faint, Ms. Chancellor has smelling salts in her purse. Do not rip the dress open."

This time they both stared at me, but we didn't have time.

"Announcing— "

The herald droned on as I straightened my shoulders and took both the boys' arms, "Let's hope this works."

The boys and I stepped down the stairs and into the crowd of people and towards the dais with the ceremonial thrones in place. The Royal Family sat on matching golden thrones, holding themselves perfectly upright.

They would go through the ceremony on the dais before joining the common people, just like the old tradition dictates. They would announce me a Lady and then humbly sink to my level to accept me into the nobility. How sweet of them.

As we approached the thrones, the boys both held back until they were walking a few paces behind me, the both of them pressing together to form a wall. And a statement: no one gets to me before getting to them first.

The king stood from his chair and walked forward as kneeled on the ground, "Grace Olivia Blakely, you have come before us today to be initiated into the Noble Court of Adria. Is this your wish?"

"It is."

"And do you understand the sacrifices you will make for your country?"

"I do."

"Do you understand the responsibilities that come with nobility? The responsibilities of political ties? The responsibilities of hospitality, loyalty, service, and virtues?"

"I do."

"Do you understand the responsibilities of being a member of the Royal Household? Of keeping country secrets, protecting the Royal Family, and submitting to the monarch's wishes?"

"I do."

"Then rise: Lady Grace Olivia Blakely."

The applause made the chandeliers shake.

For the next hour, I was whisked from one person to the next, being formally introduced to all of them and trying to make a good impression. Some of the nobility and politicians wanted to know me, how up to date I was with the situations of Adria, if I understood economic structures, if I was holding political ties with other countries. They wanted to know what I could offer them. Offer Adria. Others just wanted to know if I was really crazy or not.

I offered them all smiles and nonanswers as I moved through the crowds.

"Do you want us to take it back now?" Thomas asked, coming up to me.

"I would like you to take the dress back."

"You look beautiful."

"Did you come over here for a reason?"

"Well, I wanted to save you. And now seemed like the best time to do it since your guard dogs were gone."

I smiled, looking over at where Alexei and Jamie had gone to get some food, "I think I wore them out. They needed to stock up on energy."

Thomas smiled and looked over his own shoulder, "If I don't take you out on the dance floor, you are going to be flooded by more politicians."

"I have never been so glad that someone asked me to dance."

I wasn't too bad of a dancer now that both Ms. Chancellor and Queen Ann had given me lessons, so it was easy for me to let Thomas twirl me around the dance floor. The music was a simple waltz with a graceful harmony and it was easy to swing around the dancefloor, letting my dress flare out behind me. There was something simply honest about losing myself in the measured movements of the dance, the physicality led by familiar steps. I actually found myself smiling and laughing at a story Thomas told me. He led me past couple after couple, some smiling or glaring at me as we went by.

When the song ended, the crowd clapped and Thomas bowed to me before turning away to walk across the dance floor, his work done. Except he didn't take more than two steps away from me before I saw the man reaching into his jacket.

Before I knew it, I had pushed Thomas behind me and was suddenly held at gunpoint.

People screamed and tried to run, tried to duck under tables, but I stayed frozen. A body guard was able to grab Thomas from out behind me, but didn't have orders to save the newly minted lady.

"You," said the gunman, his face red.

"Me," I replied gently, raising my hands in the air.

"You made me miss my target. I wanted to kill him."

"My apologies." I saw Alexei prowling around the edge of the dancefloor and knew he was looking for an opening to attack. I didn't have to turn to know that Jamie was doing the same thing, but both of them had to know it was too dangerous. I had a gun pointed at me.

"I'm Grace Blakely. Can you tell me your name?"

The gunman violently shook his head, "No. No, I can't."

He looked on the edge of a mental breakdown.

"Okay. That's alright."

"Lady Blakely," an Adrian Secret Service agent said, "I need you to – "

" _Shut up!"_ the gunman yelled.

"It's alright, sir! It's alright!" I tried to calm the man. I pointed towards the agent, "This is Agent Rogers, okay? This is Steve. He's a friend. He's here to protect everyone, including you." I hoped the gunman didn't recognize Captain America's name, but it was the first one that came to mind since I didn't know the agent's name. "Okay? Everything's fine. Can I ask you to lower the gun?"

"No!" he said raising the gun to aim for my head.

I froze for a second, leaving the ballroom silent.

"Ok, sir. That's fine. But before you shoot, I want you to know who you're shooting. Like I said, I'm Grace. I've only lived at the palace for a while, before that I lived all over the US. My dad is in Iran. My mother is dead. I have one brother by birth and another that we might as well adopt by now— "

"Shut up."

"I have friends and family. My grandfather just had a heart attack, and I hope I don't have to give him another one. I'm a person, sir. And if you shoot me, plenty of people will be hurt by it."

"That's what I want! That's what I want!

"My doctor says I shouldn't like these things, causing pain. Sometimes I agree with her. But not today."

"Your doctor?" I asked, "Sir, are you on any medication?"

He smiled at me, "Not anymore. They can't make me do it anymore."

"You're off your meds," I said, his story coming into place, "Can you tell me what you're on your meds for?"

"I'm off them! I don't take them anymore!"

"Okay. That's fine. Sometimes I don't like my pills either."

The gunman was silent for a second, so I continued, hoping I was gaining his trust, "I had to go off of one because I would randomly fall asleep. Another one…I don't remember much from when I was on it. Just blurs. Another gave me a panic attack."

"The one they had me on…I wasn't me."

I nodded, "I understand. Sometimes it feels like nothing can go right. But it's all in our heads. People go about their lives and they don't see the things we do. They don't understand what runs through our heads. I understand why you think killing people in a ballroom sounds rational, but I'm going to tell you something: it's not. It's not rational. These people never did anything to you and they have families and friends just like I do. They want to return to them. And you killing them won't make the things you see go away. If anything, they'll make it worse." I took a couple of steady steps towards him, "Sir— "

"Erik."

"Erik. Erik, the only way to make those things disappear is to get better. And that's hard, but there's no other way. Killing these people won't help you."

Erik started to put the gun down, shaking his head, "Maybe it won't." Then he shook his head harder, "No. It has to. _It has to!"_

Then, he raised the gun again, aimed it at me, and fired. The bullet caught me in the arm, and the impact made me stumble, trip on my dress, and smash my head into the ball room floor as screams and the sounds of a struggle flew through the air.

Everything went dark.


	7. Chapter 7

How to Make a Princess Ch 7

"Well, that worked spendidly," Queen Ann said, sitting primly on my hospital bed.

"Excuse me?" I asked, feeling a little groggy from the pain meds.

She smiled at me, "You couldn't have reacted any better if I had told you what to say."

"I was shot," I said as clearly as I could.

"You were!"  
I looked at her suspiciously, "You seem awfully happy that someone was shot in your home."

She waved her hand, "Please. You were never in any real danger."

"Again. A bullet pierced my skin. I bled all over your nice ballroom floor."

"Yes, precisely where I told him to shoot you."

I paused for a long time, staring at her and her bright smile, "You set it all up. There's no way he could have gotten through security with a gun, unless someone helped him. You helped him do it? Why would you bring a gunman into your home?"

Queen Ann folded her hands in front of her, "You needed something else. Something endearing and fierce to cement your reputation. Something that would still have influence over the general population after four years of you being at college. So, I gave it to them.

"Now, everyone knows that you're willing to lay your life down for others and my son, that you are able to and gracious enough to emphasize with people, even if they are holding a gun at your head, and now, the last part of my plan, you are able to spring back after a failure."

"That man could be killed for what he did."

"Which is why you are going to go to the judge presiding over the case to ask her to go easy on him. That's your first stop when you're cleared by the doctors."

"You're absolutely insane."

Ann rolled her eyes, "I just gave you your freedom for four years! Otherwise we would have had to pull you out of school every other month to make sure people remembered you were alive. You would have been thrust onto every newsstand in the country, possibly the world, but now you're unforgettable! You can live in peace for those years!"

"You risked my life for four years? Without telling me?" I was so angry that I felt perfectly calm, as if I had broken my scale of frustration and had been left feeling empty.

"Again: you were never in any real danger."

"Do you realize how inaccurate guns are? There's a reason they just tell police to aim for torso and that's it."

"We have very good doctors here."

"You played with my life. Did you forget that you need me, Ann?"

"No, honey. You need me. And I needed this."

"There's more to the story. Isn't there, Ann?"

Ann looked out the window where crowds of people had gathered outside, "My son. He deserves to be happy. His job will be stressful and his reputation always under a microscope. People do not need to be questioning whether his wife is loyal to him. And neither does he."

I shook my head, "I don't understand."

Ann leaned closer to me, "You jumped right between him and a gun. I know you well enough to know that you did it because you secretly have a death wish. Thomas? He doesn't know that. Now he thinks you're willing to lay down your life for him."

"I know a lot of mental hospitals that will take good care of you."

She rolled her eyes, "Please."

She checked the clock on the wall before smiling at me, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I secretly paid a photographer to sneak into the hospital about now and snap a picture of me pacing outside your room." She smiled, "Got to keep up appearances."

And she left me, wondering yet again wondering if she was a genius or…just like me.


End file.
